Tenerife Design Festival

TDF 2009

Over 6000 pepople took part in The first Edition of the tenerife design festival
The Tenerife Design Festival (TDF) ended its first edition on the 25th October with the participation of over 6000 people from among professionals, students, business leaders and the general public. Participants were able to take part in workshops, symposiums, exhibitions and other activities during the event which was mainly held between the 19th and 25th October in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

TDF was proposed by CTND NoQuietDesign with the aim of creating links between international design tendencies and local resources, innovation and creativity thus generating a global awareness which contributes to regarding design as a tool for change and an economic driving force.

TDF has had the support of the Canarian Regional Government, via the Septenio programme, and the Cabildo de Tenerife (Island Government), via its Economic and Competition, Tourism, Culture and Economic Development Areas, as well as having the collaboration of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council.
The Festival proposes design in a dynamic way via five interconnected areas: TDFLab, TDFSolution, TDFATmósfera, TDFSigno and TDFAward. These thematic areas make up a programme which involves cooperation and experimentation, lectures, exhibitions, competitions, urban interventions, etc. and with the participation of prestigious national and international designers and creators. Within the framework of TDFLab, Walking Chair, América Sánchez, Gràffica, Roberto Feo (El Último Grito) and Albert Folch gave a variety of workshops for students and professionals.
TDF Solution led to a symposium on the “Profitability of Design,” given by Xènia Viladàs, Pierluigi Cattermole and Renate Schepen, as well as the lecture given by Martín de Azúa, “Nature + Tourism Festival+ Local Identity”. Also within this area, the Campana Brothers, who were patrons of the festival, gave a symposium on “Design and Local Production”, in which they explained their way of working, which is based on craft processes and natural, indigenous materials of their birthplace Brazil.

Within, TDFAtmósfera, the Viennese duet Walking Chair offered a wide retrospective of their work in the Círculo de Bellas Artes, at which 750 people attended, and various Canarian creators put their works together in the collective exhibition “Disleño”. TDFAtmósfera also brought the public closer to Dutch design with the exhibition “Binnen Buiten/ Make the street your home”, which was in the Recova from the 6th to the 29th October and received about 1.800 visits. Delfina Morán, curator of the exhibition, explained during the inauguration what the main aim of the exhibition was: very close to the philosophy of the festival as a whole: “It is aimed at all sections of the general public and by that I mean people who are not connected to design, designers by profession, etc. But we are particularly interested in the ordinary citizen, who knows little about design but uses it constantly.” Also inside this area, the “Flying Grass Carpet” landed in Santa Cruz on the 18th October, offering a leisure and fun space during the whole festival, as well as being the stage for other activities, like the Pecha Kucha night. Vol. 2, or the awards ceremony for TDFAward. TDF Signo was an experimental project of cooperation between local, national and international designers and representatives of industry and craftsmen and women. It is a tangible example of the exchange between the indigenous and the external and is intrinsically linked to the aims of the festival. For three months, nine designers worked with master craftsmen and women and local industries to create a structure from the knowledge, methodologies and experiences of each one of them. These exchanges generated new products that shared two characteristics: they include the values of the Canarian identity (through materials, craft techniques or the typology of the object itself) and they are aimed at being integrated into the tourism sector of the islands, and at the same time promoting the international projection of Canarian culture. The results were truly surprising: four variations of the traditional Canarian “timple” – guitar (Víctor Viñas and Francisco Fariña); a sculptured seat inspired by the landscape of the Teide (Harry & Camila and Esculturas Bronzo); urban furniture that brings together in one element a seat, a flower box and fountain (Martín Azúa + Julca); a souvenir based on the potato from Tenerife (Héctor Serrano); an urban bench which combines techniques of palm weaving with cement (Héctor Serrano, Beatriz Fernández Sánchez and Esculturas Bronzo), some separating panels made of cane set on volcanic rock from the Teide (El Último Grito and Cecilia Delgado) and a lamp made of Teide volcanic rock (CTND + Guama Arico).
The exhibition of the projects developed in TDFSigno was inaugurated on the 21st October, as well as the presentation of a video that contains images of the “Making Of” this area of the festival showing the synergies generated to perfection. (http:/www.zaunka.com/tdf-signo/).

Finally, TDFAward, the area of festival dedicated to design contests, awarded a prize to Javier Sicilia and Aranzazu Sarmiento, “Tenerife: Paradisum 1.0.”, an innovative guide on how to take advantage of and enjoy the potential of coastal areas. months, nine designers worked with master craftsmen and women and local industries to create a structure from the knowledge, methodologies and experiences of each one of them. These exchanges generated new products that shared two characteristics: they include the values of the Canarian identity (through materials, craft techniques or the typology of the object itself) and they are aimed at being integrated into the tourism sector of the islands, and at the same time promoting the international projection of Canarian culture. The results were truly surprising: four variations of the traditional Canarian “timple” – guitar (Víctor Viñas and Francisco Fariña); a sculptured seat inspired by the landscape of the Teide (Harry & Camila and Esculturas Bronzo); urban furniture that brings together in one element a seat, a flower box and fountain (Martín Azúa + Julca); a souvenir based on the potato from Tenerife (Héctor Serrano); an urban bench which combines techniques of palm weaving with cement (Héctor
The great number of venues, inside and outside in the open-air, where the different activities were carried out immersed Santa Cruz de Tenerife in a multitude of exhibition spaces which clearly demonstrated that functionality and design can and should be together. This is one of the reasons why the Tenerife Design Festival has been selected as an example of European good practice in creativity and innovation. (http://create2009.europa.eu/calendar_of_events/events_archive/events_singleview/news/tenerife-design-festival.html).
The development of the festival and the excellent results obtained have ensured that the Tenerife Design Festival is already an international symbol and part of the Island’s and Spain’s reality. A festival which is not just a one-off event, but one that hopes to become a continuous embrace between design and the Island of Tenerife.

www.tenerifedesignfestival.com/en

Linden Prize

Linden Prize Contest

The Linden Prize will award one Second Life Resident or team with $10,000 USD for an innovative inworld project that improves the way people work, learn and communicate in their daily lives outside of the virtual world. This annual award is intended to align with the mission of the company Linden Lab, which is to connect all people to an online world that advances the human condition. Many projects inside of Second Life have already enhanced and changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world, and the company wants to recognize the users‚ accomplishments.
Applications, references and testimonials must be complete and submitted no later than January 15, 2010. Use the Application Form to apply.
The Winner and Finalists will be announced no later than May 31, 2010.

http://lindenlab.com/lindenprize

WIF Italy

Webdesign International Festival

What:
The WIF (Webdesign International Festival) is an international event aimed at interface and digital content designers.
Who:
Supported by the Limousin Region, Europe, the city of Limoges and some private partners (Adobe, Apple, Orange…) the WIOF has been organized since 2004 by Limousin Expansion, the Limousin Region develpment agency and in association with Elopsys e-Design Competitiveness cluster.
When:
Limoges, France and in partner countries.
Next event in Milan at 4-5-6-Febru 2010
For more information:
http://italia.partners.webdesign-festival.com/

Why:
An international 24hr non-stop competition where the best webdesigners come to confront each other.
An international market place where commercial exchanges and industrial partnership take place in the domain of interface, new uses and innovation.
The international Congress of interface design and digital content proposing conferences and workshop (professional and for the grand public), training sessions, round tables, debates treating innovating themes (web 3, sensory design, domotique interface, web security, accessibility, and ergonomy etc.). Networking evenings, public exhibitions etc.

Info: “http://italia.partners.webdesign-festival.com/”

Miss Virtual World

Beauty pixel

The MISS VIRTUAL WORLD Organization is a celebration of great content creation in Second Life. Expertly designed skins, hair styles, eyes, clothing, scripts and accessories and the ability to play around with these elements to create a flawless look is the name of the game.
What are we looking for? MISS VIRTUAL WORLD Organization is looking for a beautiful female avatar with an outstanding presence. While the MISS VIRTUAL WORLD Organization will train all the contestants to be professional models in SL, the judges will also be looking at their ability to style and photograph beautifully.

MISS VIRTUAL WORLD candidates will also be interviewed privately by all judges and answer questions under pressure for the press during the rehearsals prior to the final evening. While looks and ability to style are important, a caring personality and willingness to help others should be the contestant’s top priority.

A beautiful goodwill ambassador in Second Life is perhaps the best definition for the role of MISS VIRTUAL WORLD.

What are the ladies judged on?
1.Well balanced shape.
2.Harmonious combination of skin, eyes and hair.
3.Ability to create beautiful styles with clothes and accessories.
4.A photogenic avatar
5.Personality and social behavior during the competition.
6.Ability to answer questions under pressure.

Who chooses MISS VIRTUAL WORLD?
MISS VIRTUAL WORLD is chosen by a panel of judges, with a discerning eye, from the preliminary steps all the way to the final evening. Due to RL obligations, the judges may vary from time to time during the competition.
The final evening will be judged by 10 very experienced gamers with backgrounds in content creation, fashion, modeling, photography and journalism.

http://missvirtualworld.info/

BeefCake Wrigglesworth – Contest winner

2nd: How long have you attended sl?

BW: I have been here for almost 11 months now.

2nd: How much time do you daily spend in sl?

BW: As i have a couple of shops here i spend about a couple of hours on line each day, give or take a few.

2nd: What do you like more about sl?and what do you dislike?

BW: For me i like to build and as there are few limits to what you can create here it leaves it wide open to the imagination as to what you can create.  other than the random person that seems to find me in the sandbox and tries to cage me or use some pushing device on me there is not much i dislike maybe lag sometimes on busy areas.

2nd: What is the most beautiful place that you’ve seen in sl? and the most disappointing?

BW: My shops of course are the most beautiful places here in sl (sorry could not resist), well there are some really cool asian theemed places here that are interesting and also the nice beach areas around.  as fo rthe disappointing places i would have to say the ones that are full of avs but ther eis not a word that is spoken, i refer to these as zombie zones.  i would say places that are full of bots are teh most dissappointing.

2nd: Do you work in sl?

BW: Well i have some jewelry shops here in sl, but i would not call it work, i do it mostly to relax.  it is enough to pay the rent of the land i have so as long as i make my sl rent i am happy and even if i don’t make the rent i guess i am still happy maybe less happy.  also i am working in sl on a ski contest project “sxt – ski  x-treme” that will be a game for all the people here in sl to try out skiing, it should be done just in time for christmas. they are pasted below:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/redshift/227/88/80

http://slurl.com/secondlife/redshift/231/48/77

http://slurl.com/secondlife/gye ran/57/89/115

2nd: Would you have a favourite profession?

BW: Well i enjoy my rl work, but would have to say it is not what would be my favorite profession.  umm is winning the lottory and moving to a big house on the beach a profession?  but if it came down to it i guess working with audio design for music halls and theaters would be cool.

2nd: Your work in rl is similar to what you do in sl or it’s completely different?

BW: I would say it is completely differnt, in rl work i dont get to use any creative or artistic side of me but here in sl that is about all i do.

2nd: What are you often looking for in sl? events, shops, discos?

BW: I guess to take a break from building stuff here i go around and check out the shops and some of the clubs,  or just meet up with friends and hang out.

2nd: What your secret dream?

BW: Well i would have to go with my hopes of one day getting into the lottery winning profession.

2nd: A greeting for our readers.

BW: Hello from beefcake wrigglesworth, say that 10 times fast.